What is Symbolic Dynamics

Nonlinear dynamical systems are theoretically well described by a fundamental tool known as symbolic dynamics. It describes the time evolution of a chaotic dynamical system by representing its trajectory by sequences of symbols belonging to a finite alphabet set. The evolution of the trajectory with time is represented by the transition between symbols. Such continuous assemblies of symbols constitute a word which is a distinguishing feature of the system. The word describes the dynamics of the system. Thereby, a coarse grain partition of the phase space can be obtained. It helps to investigate chaotic behavior with finite precision and can be used combined with information theory.

Dynamical Systems Approach for Predator-Prey Robot Behavior Control via Symbolic Dynamics Based Communication

Sumona Mukhopadhyay (University of Calgary, Canada) and Henry Leung (University of Calgary, Canada)